Poland, Tibet to boost cultural exchange

Marek Kawa, former member of the Polish parliament and member of the recruitment committee of Warsaw's Higher School of Pedagogy, said that local academic institutions want to have more scholar and student exchanges with Tibet.

Kawa was speaking at an academic seminar in Warsaw, which is part of the ongoing China's Tibet Culture Week organized by China's State Council Information Office, the People's Government of Tibet, the Chinese embassy in Poland and the Polish association Dom Polski.

Kawa said that the Higher School of Pedagogy will soon have a major in Chinese studies, including Tibetan studies.

"Academic exchanges with international students will help to improve their understanding of Tibetan culture, and it also offers us a chance to have a better understanding of international cultures," said Lhakpa Tseten, deputy dean at the School of Humanities of the Tibet University.

During the seminar, Lhakpa Tseten talked about the history and development of Tibetan culture. The Chinese central government has invested 1.4 billion yuan ($222.50 million) to preserve and restore historic sites and the cultural heritage of Tibet, he said.

He also talked about the intangible cultural heritage of Tibet, including Tibetan opera and folk dance, which have a history of more than 1,300 years.

"We are very far away from Tibet but I find similarities in the efforts to preserve and promote our cultures," said Helena Overina, a visiting scholar from Latvia.

Polish and Tibetan scholars also exchanged views on traditional Tibetan medicine, which has a history of 4,000 years and plays an important role in the treatment of many diseases.

Sonam Ngodrup, associate chief physician at the Hospital of Traditional Tibetan Medicine, briefed the Polish scholars on the history and development of Tibetan medicine, and how it's used along traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in Tibet.

"I hope that the seminar marks the beginning of medical cooperation projects between Poland and China," said Wiktor Mastowski, director of Warsaw's medical institution Centrum ATTIS.